Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to gaming devices and systems, and more particularly to new and improved mounting assemblies/systems for a gaming device.
Description of the Related Art
Games of chance have been enjoyed by people for many years and have undergone increased and widespread popularity in recent times. As with most forms of entertainment, some players enjoy playing a single favorite game, while others prefer playing a wide variety of games. Gaming devices are often used in casinos or other gaming venues to present one or more styles and options of games. In response to the diverse range of player preferences, gaming establishments commonly offer many types of gaming devices, such as slot and video machines. Slot and video machines have a wide variety of configurations. Commonly, however, these machines comprise upright cabinets or housings, to which the gaming machine is secured. The upright cabinets are then secured to a supporting stand. The upright cabinets and supporting stands are designed to structurally support the gaming machines, bring the gaming machines to a certain optimum height, and house supporting hardware, among other purposes.
Gaming devices, as well as the gaming device cabinets that support and/or enclose the devices themselves and the supporting stands, have evolved to become somewhat standardized in an effort to reduce manufacturing, installation, and other costs associated with implementation in gaming environments. In other words, a variety of gaming devices and supporting hardware are maintained within or otherwise associated with gaming cabinets and supporting stands. Such supporting hardware may include processing devices including controllers, video displays, lights and other display functions, buttons, a coin hopper, bill validator and cash box, and/or a wide range of other components. In some gaming locations, banks of gaming devices may be found that are each secured to these cabinets and their associated stands and are located, in some cases, in rows opposing one another. Back-to-back positioning of gaming devices often complicates installation, more particularly, securement of the associated cabinets near rear areas of the cabinets, which can be difficult to access during installation.
As one may expect, operators and vendors of gaming environments may need to relocate a particular gaming machine to another location in a particular venue, or may need to otherwise remove a gaming machine from a current location for service and/or repair. The relocation or removal and replacement of these gaming machines may take place many times during the course of the operating lifetime of a particular gaming machine. Installation and/or removal time is often lengthy, and exposes many components to potential damage or misplacement. Also, service, maintenance, and/or repair of the gaming devices may be difficult due to limited accessibility to the mounting components. Difficult to reach mounting locations also limit the type of tools used to secure the gaming device and may compromise any needed torque for safely and securing the gaming cabinet in the desired position. Technicians are also prone to injury trying to access difficult to reach mounting components. In some cases, to reach the mounting components, various other supporting components in the cabinets and stands such as power supplies, processing devices, hoppers, and power distribution components must be relocated and/or moved or removed and replaced, potentially adding to the time and complexity involved in installing gaming devices, servicing, or relocating gaming devices.
A current challenge for operators and vendors of gaming venues, in view of increasingly popular use by players, an increasing number of gaming machines, tables and the like in gaming environments, and the increasing mobility of gaming devices in and between venues, is the mounting of a gaming device in a quick, safe, and convenient manner, without jeopardizing safety to players, staff personnel, and/or field technicians, yet not requiring additional hardware associated with the mounting process that adds to the overall costs associated with such installation. A need exists for a mechanism that complements the increasing standardization of gaming machines, cabinets, and associated supporting stands, promotes safety and accessibility, and minimizes costs associated with the removal, relocation and replacement of gaming machines.